


Back to Basics

by thesudokukid



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Autism, Canon Autistic Character, Canon Disabled Character, Fantasy, Magic, Multi, Prequel, Urban Fantasy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-21
Packaged: 2018-04-09 11:32:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4347020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thesudokukid/pseuds/thesudokukid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Sorry, sorry. Best to just tell you the story of how I got imprisoned here. Might as well. After all its not like I’ve got something else to do."</p><p>The story of how Nicholas Emerson wound up trapped in Coral Hall. Also a return to some of my "square one" ideas for the World of the Grove. These ideas include a wheelchair-using Nicholas, autistic Clivis, jealous Nosreme, and Emily's past as a dragon rider/thief.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nicholas

Breakfast is quiet these days. Never anything but quiet. And I hate it. Kind of my own fault though when you think about it.

Breakfast isn’t anything complicated. It never has been. It’s the same as always too. Cereal and a glass of orange juice. A rolled up _Telanguian Herald_ to look at while I eat. Breakfast plain and simple.

Speaking of the _Telanguian Herald_ you should know that I write for it occasionally. Not anything important though, just poetry. Maybe a serial novel or two.

I’ll be the first to say that I typically spend most of my morning hunting down my chapter, reading it, and then looking at everyone else’s. Kind of glad the newspaper made an entire section exclusively for serials. Makes my life much more interesting.

I don’t usually read it until after I read the news though. The news isn’t always good. The world isn’t always good. And if I choose to forget that by reading about the latest chapter of the _Magical Mysteries_ series well so be it.

I read that series more than you’d think possible. But that’s what tends to happen when you’re trapped in a castle with no way off the grounds. You start going a little stir crazy.

And if you’re about to suggest that I take a walk or whatever let me just say that I would but I’m in a wheelchair so I can’t actually do that. Don’t pity me either. I’ve had it up to here with that mess. I’ve been in a wheelchair for as long as I can remember. I don’t know any different. Get over it and stop feeling sad for me. Thank you.

What’s worse is that I usually end up kicking out the few people that actually turn up here. Why? Because they always treat me like a stupid kid and I’m not one and ughh…

Sorry, sorry. Best to just tell you the story of how I got imprisoned here. Might as well. After all its not like I’ve got something else to do. I’ll get Emily to put her part in since I know she won’t object. And she can talk to Nosreme about putting his sections in because he’s part of the reason this mess even happened.

Besides anyone reading this deserves the full story. Especially Clivis and Apollo. You deserve to know why I won’t be around when you go to your next invention fair.

All right, that’s enough of that. Time to raise the metaphorical curtain and let the story begin. Just try not to hate me when it’s over, please.

***

There were two knocks at the door instead of the ususal three. One that sounded like banging, obviously Emily. Another that sounded like a gavel following the rhythm of The William Tell Overture. Obviously Clivis.

And I knew why Clivis was using the “bad” knock today. Apollo wasn’t around. He couldn’t be. He hadn’t started knocking to the tune of Swan Lake yet.

So I pushed myself over to the door with a certain…trepidation. I knew it couldn’t be good.

I got proven right by seeing my “boss” Emily Penley look broken. Now for the record I have to set something straight here. Emily is about as tough-as-nails- tan-skinned, machete-and-a-first-aid-kit as a girl can possibly get.

She broke up with Layla “I kill everyone” Alverdine and walked away from it. This is not a girl that gets broken, at least not easily. So the fact that she was at my doorstep looking broken, well, clearly things had to be serious.

“What happened?”

And then the bomb dropped.

“She took him. And I don’t know where he is.”

I sat there and let it sink in before going backwards so they could come in.

Then she put her keys on the table and started wiping the tears away from her face as she walked to the bathroom.

“She’ll be okay,” Clivis asked, “won’t she?”

I looked him in the face since I couldn’t quite look him in the eye. I’d have to do a painting of him, Emily, and Apollo later on. Their acorn-brown skin would contrast wonderfully against her tan. I just hoped Apollo wouldn’t be laying a casket for it.

“Nick he asked you a question,” Emily said. “You gonna answer it or do I have to?”

I sighed, “Sorry. Sorry. I didn’t-”

“You’re fine Nicholas,” she said. “You’re fine. Just answer the kid’s question. I’ve got some phone calls to make.”

Clivis waited until his sister left, “So, like I asked, is she gonna be okay?”

I looked in the direction she’d gone in then back to him and tried answering the way she would, “She’ll be fine. She has to be doesn’t she?”

“Oh,” he said. “Okay.” He grabbed the soda I’d left sitting on the table and wandered over to the couch. Then he opened the can and put his feet up.

I almost thought about leaving him there and going to check on Emily but I knew she’d never forgive me if she knew I’d left him alone. So I pushed myself over to him. I almost had to really. He was starting to look like he’d been shocked with a taser. Especially after he put the soda on the coffee table and started wringing his hands while rocking slightly.

The rocking only intensified when he tried to stop it. Then he started crying and punishing himself by pulling at his hair.

***

“Wrong! Wrong! Stop it it’s wrong! Stop being wrong!”

Emily came in through the front door about two minutes later and approached him from the front.

“Hey, hey it’s okay,” she said. “You’re okay. You’re not wrong.” Then she put the TV on the science channel which seemed to help bring him back from whatever hell he got trapped in.

“Wh-What,” I asked. “How?”

“He’s autistic,” she said. “They put him through some freak therapy a while back. Hasn’t been the same since then.”

“And did you let-?”

“No,” she said. “Never. I would never let someone put my kid through that kind of torture. Never.”

We stayed there for the next few minutes until he calmed down completely. He seemed to unfold somehow when he did. Like he’d had to fold himself up so he could hide and he’d started realizing the hiding was done now.

***

We went to the dining room only after he gave us permission. And I was glad for it. It meant we could talk more easily. Talk without hurting his feelings.

“For what it’s worth-”

“Don’t you dare call me brave,” she said. “Don’t you dare. Looking after him and Apollo, what I do? It isn’t the slightest brave, not a bit. And I would really appreciate it if-”

I held up my hands to stop her and I was suddenly afraid she might want to murder me.

“I wasn’t going to call you call you brave. I wasn’t. I was just gonna say I’m sorry for what happened to him. Something similar happened to Nosreme back when we were kids. They tortured him. It’s why he’s part of the VA, you know, the Villain Alliance? I can’t help it. Being angry about what happened to them and to me and, gods this is all just a big mess isn’t it?”

Emily swallowed and nodded, “Yeah it is. I’m going now. Look after Clivis. Turn the lights off if he starts melting down again. Leave it on the science channel. Try to help him if you can. And tell him he can drink the soda, lie and say it’s an exception.”

It was a little odd of her to just leave us like that but I didn’t mind too much. Knowing Emily she wouldn’t be gone longer than an hour, if that.

So I nodded, “I’ll do it. Just make sure you come back safe and alive got it?”

Emily grimaced, “I can’t make any promises. Just look after him. Please.”

And she slowly closed the door shut behind her.


	2. Emily

So we’re supposed to tell you guys how Nicholas ended up trapped in Coral Hall, huh? Eh, I’ll give it a whack.

***

Nosreme was waiting outside Nicholas’ house like I asked him to. He didn’t seem too peppy about it.

“I couldn’t have waited anywhere else?”

The annoyed tone in his voice made me snap. “Clivis panicked again,” I said. “Didn’t want to leave him sooner than I had to.”

“Fair enough,” he said.

“But-”

He opened Nicholas’ mailbox and started sifting through the mail.

“But nothing,” he said. “You have a right to take care of your family. Especially after the damage that’s been done to it.”

“And you’re hiding something,” I said. “Spill it.”

He looked at one particular envelope then pocketed it before putting the rest back where it belonged.

“Alverdine is beginning to question me. She’s starting to think I’m up to something.”

I snorted, “Don’t worry. I can try and settle that for you.”

He raised an eyebrow then the flag on the mailbox up. “I think I’ll continue worrying if it’s all the same to you.” I sighed, “Time to go. We’ve got a boy to find.”

Nosreme nodded then crushed a can someone tossed onto his brother’s property before picking it up.

“Honestly people these days,” he said. “They almost act like the world’s unimportant now. Like they don’t care whether they live or die. Looks like I’ll have to teach them better.”

***

I didn’t trust Nosreme for shit after that comment. Who makes that kind of comment about people littering? I mean okay yeah with most people that’s just an innocuous comment but we’re talking about a “villain” here. And that means one thing and one thing only.

That “I’ll have to teach them better” shit? That might be a little more than idle threat. I just hope I don’t have to bring him down. Or report him. That’d suck. Mostly ‘cause it’d lower my chances of getting a promotion, a chance at getting my dragon back, and maybe even get me arrested but still like I said, it’d suck.

Anyway, I couldn’t help thinking it was a mistake to invite Nosreme along. After all moonlight makes his cream-pale skin stand out like a brunette in a sea of blondes. But Nicholas’ wheelchair wasn’t exactly all-terrain and villain-hero association wasn’t entirely legal. Not like it used to be.

We traveled quickly but quietly. Acted like it was still the monster hunting days and our socialization was actually desired and encouraged instead of unwanted and unsupported.

And since we were acting like it was still monster hunting days we stopped the instant we heard something that sounded unusual for the area. Very unusual in fact.

Because when we were nearing the end of our search for the hour we heard something I hadn’t heard ever since they took Argus from me. Dragon snoring. DRAGON snoring. And I almost couldn’t believe my ears.

Nosreme tapped my shoulder three times with two fingers, _be careful_.

I replied by tapping his back three times with four fingers, _watch my back_.

One last reply, this time two taps with two fingers, _on it_.

He made his way into the trees, crossbow at the ready. I just hoped we wouldn’t regret it.

***

I traveled in the direction of the snoring. It’s not loud like you’d think it would be. It’s much quieter than that.

A thrill ran through me at the thought of what I was doing. Not just sneaking through the trees or even inching towards my dragon. But also doing something illegal. Something that by all rights, shouldn’t be done.

I used to steal things a few years back. Until I got caught. Went to the slammer. Then I met Argus and started dragon riding. Then that became illegal for who knows what reason and I had to stop which disappoints me.

But you’re not here to learn my life’s story now are ya? Nope. Probably not. I just had to make sure you knew I used to ride dragons because the dragon that was snoring? Yeah that wasn’t just any old dragon. That was the dragon I used to race with. Argus.

***

I found Argus with his tail curled around Apollo. Exactly the kind of thing I expected to see.

What I didn’t expect to see was a chained collar around Argus’ neck. It had big thick spikes on it, so sharp that they must’ve been lethal.

The chain was also being electrified somehow. He looked like he was in pain. I tried not to bother him too much as I went over to Apollo. Unfortunately moving Argus’ tail with my boot woke 'em up. Both of 'em.

Apollo rubbed his eyes and looked up sleepily, “How long have you been here?”

“Not long,” I whispered. “Not long. Now come on, get up. We need to get moving.”

“They hurt him,” Apollo said. “I know,” I replied. “They hurt me too,” he added.

That was something I didn’t know. And more importantly was something I didn’t need to know. Mostly because I was starting to get mad again. I have this little habit of seeing red whenever one of my boys gets hurt. Stupid? Yeah, maybe. Do I care? Not on your fucking life.

Yeah, yeah, I’m rude. Get used to it.

Apollo looked over at Argus once he’d told me that they’d both been hurt, “We’re leaving him behind aren’t we?”

I nodded, “’Fraid so. I wish we could take him but they’ll notice he’s gone and-”

“And what?”

“I’m already pushing the line by associating Nick-knack’s brother,” I said. “I do any more than I’m already doing and bad things might happen. So I’m sorry but yeah, we kind of have to.”

“Should we tell him?”

Then I heard Argus start growling. I turned around as carefully as I could with my hands up in surrender. It took him a minute to recognize me. Made sense really, he had been asleep after all.

“I think he already knows,” I said.

I bit my lip then took a cautious step forward, “I’m sorry Argus. But you can’t keep us with you, ‘mkay? We’ll come back as soon as we can. I won’t leave you like this. Not forever.”

And I swear everything went dead silent just before I added a last, whispered word, “Promise.”

Apollo and I left the area without much trouble but not before I checked him over first. I had to see what the damage was, know how much I’d be paying to fix the problems. Then I realized there wasn’t actually a scratch on him but then I remembered what Apollo told me.

_They hurt me too._

Not all hurts are physical.


End file.
